After Luke laid out his plan, Emily began to understand his objective, yet she felt a deep sense of impropriety. Roger Consius was her superior. To investigate the case without him would be an act of insubordination.
"The gift is right here. If you accept it, we'll go to Gotham City now. If you don't accept it..."
Luke didn't finish his sentence, but his expression said it all.
Emily was a good person. The teaching and example of her military father had instilled a strong sense of justice in her from a young age, which was why she had accepted the FBI's invitation.
After becoming an agent, she had worked diligently, striving to prove herself. Even when subjected to various injustices due to her metahuman status, she maintained a positive and determined attitude.
She was a rule-follower. Today, however, Luke was challenging her to break those rules: disregard your superior, overstep your authority, take all the credit, manipulate the situation, become a hero, and get promoted to director...
Emily gripped her hair; her mind was reeling.
Luke looked at his wristwatch. When the second hand passed three rotations, he spoke.
"Have you made up your mind?"
Emily took a small breath and, with a trace of hesitation, asked, "Just the two of us? Will that be enough?"
Luke smiled like a happy young boy.
"Come with me."
The Black Panther
They walked to an underground parking garage. When Luke flipped on the lights, a jet-black Lamborghini sports car flashed into view. This car was unlike any Emily had ever seen. Its gleaming black exterior seemed wrapped in a dark, composite armor. It shimmered with a subtle, dark light under the lamps, looking like a majestic black panther ready to hunt in the jungle, a stark visual shock.
Even as a woman, Emily felt the car's unique charm. She instinctively reached out and touched the body. A hard sensation met her fingers, yet without the typical coldness of metal.
She looked up in surprise. "Composite armor? A bulletproof car?"
"At least you know a bit."
"Lamborghini doesn't produce bulletproof cars, do they?" the girl asked, highly uncertain.
"I customized it myself. It's not just bulletproof; it has other features, too."
Luke opened the rear compartment and pulled out a grey armored box. He pressed a button on top, and the box automatically separated into three layers. The bottom layer held two sets of black, form-fitting suits made of an unknown material. The middle contained a handgun, glasses, a mask, and other items. The top layer held several rows of small, unfamiliar gadgets.
Luke picked up the suit on the right and threw it to Emily.
"This one is yours. Change into it quickly."
Emily caught the suit and instinctively looked for a dressing room. When she saw Luke take off his shirt and trousers, standing there in only his boxers, her expression instantly turned awkward.
"Is there another room?"
"Just change here. There are no outsiders." Luke replied casually. Then, as if an idea suddenly struck him, he looked at Emily with a meaningful gaze. "You haven't gone commando, have you?"
"Get lost!"
Emily snapped angrily. She walked to the darker corner, quickly shed her clothes and dress, and slipped the tight suit onto her body as fast as she could.
No matter how fast she was, she couldn't escape Luke's hungry eyes. He gave her a thorough visual inspection, enjoying the feast for his eyes.
"Have you finished looking!"
Emily glared at him, annoyed. "You're still looking!"
Luke pinched his chin, remaining silent, his eyes narrowed as they wandered over various parts of her body. Judging by his focused expression, one might think he was admiring a work of art.
The old saying was right: a tight suit is the standard uniform for a female hero. Her figure's curves were truly stunning—a feast for the eyes from every angle. Paired with her purple hair, violet eyes, and beautiful face, she was, in a word, stunning!
"Look again and I'm hitting you."
"Alright, alright, I won't look. I won't look anymore."
Luke reluctantly pulled his gaze away and leaned down to organize the small gadgets in the armored box.
The Suit's Secrets
Emily, meanwhile, began to familiarize herself with her new "uniform." The suit was a uniform dark gray, without patterns or markings. Its weight was moderate and acceptable. The material was extremely elastic, clinging to her skin without feeling restrictive.
A gray metal belt was fastened around her waist, equipped with a row of slots, presumably for holding items.
On each shoulder, a black crystalline tube was embedded. Silver wires extended from below the tubes, running down to the finger joints.
In addition to these, there were buttons on the outside of each thumb. Emily tried pressing the button on her left hand.
Zzzt!
The air crackled. Electricity flowed from the end of the wires, wrapping her hand like a glove. The girl was startled, but after a few seconds, when she realized the current wouldn't harm her, her eyes immediately lit up.
"This is..."
"A 320-volt AC electric net. When it hits a person, it disrupts the internal cells and causes nervous system collapse, leading to spasms, shock, convulsions, and various complications. When you use it to attack, don't hold it on the enemy for more than five seconds. It will kill them."
"Oh!"
Emily answered blankly. She pressed the button—the current disappeared. She pressed it again—the current reappeared. She pressed it again—it disappeared. She kept going back and forth.
Luke watched, speechless. She's twenty years old, why is she acting like a child?
"What does the button on the right hand do?"
Having finished testing the left hand, Emily immediately remembered the right.
"It's a micro-current neuron stimulator. It stimulates the body to continuously secrete adrenaline, keeping your mind highly focused in dangerous environments."
"Wait!" Luke quickly warned. "This thing consumes a lot of physical energy. Don't press it casually."
Emily nodded, fighting the urge to press the button on her fingertip. Her gaze swept over the armored box. She asked curiously,
"Are the glasses and mask for disguise?"
"The glasses have a thermal life detection system. As for the mask..." Luke picked up a white metal sphere. "Poison defense is one aspect, but this is the main thing."
"Inside is highly compressed ethoxyethane, commonly known as ether. Press the button, and the metal sphere's casing will automatically shatter in two seconds."
As an FBI agent, Emily was familiar with ether. She pointed to a black circular disc beside it.
"What is this for?"
"A grenade. It combines the features of a flashbang and a traditional grenade. The fuse time is three seconds."
"And this?"
Emily pointed to a silver bracelet next to the glasses.
"A cable launcher. The metal wire it deploys has extremely high tensile strength and can support a weight of two hundred pounds. It's mainly for jumping off buildings."
The girl wanted to ask more, but Luke raised his hand.
"Don't ask any more questions. These weapons aren't for you."
"..."
Emily was stunned, feeling a huge wave of disappointment. She had already simulated in her mind what weapon to use in what scenario, and now he was saying all the cool gear wasn't for her? That's just cruel!
Luke reached into the bottom of the box and pulled out two gloves that didn't look very refined.
"These are yours."
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